I know this thread says "raw aluminum", but ive saw a few posted here that were polished up real nice. Now im considering goin that route, but id like to have some red in there and some white to balance out the white on my forks... My question is has anyone else done this?

Asking bc it seems like the surface will be too slick to bond w the paint and clearcoat. Ive painted many cars, but anytime ive had to paint aluminum, an entire wheel, etc. it was completely sanded w sealer underneath first... Jus curious bc id like to break out the airbrush, but not even gna try if i cant protect it... Thx in advance!

'95 GT Tempest bought for probably too much at 80 bucks then stripped, polished and rebuit. I used Sapim CX ray spokes and White Industry polished hubs to add a bit more bling. The original fork was chromed and is installed. The bike weights in at about 9.3kg.

I really wouldn't mind a clear coat to protect the shine. I don't beat the bike up and the clear coat would save some hassle. I use aluminum polish (general metal polish) every few months to bring the shine back and add a layer of protection.

'95 GT Tempest bought for probably too much at 80 bucks then stripped, polished and rebuit. I used Sapim CX ray spokes and White Industry polished hubs to add a bit more bling. The original fork was chromed and is installed. The bike weights in at about 9.3kg.

Wow... that just looks AMAZING!

From my experience (and several I've read), clearcoating that thing would be virtually impossible... but good luck!

A silly question I suppose -- I'm tempted to start my project of stripping down the clear coat and polishing it raw, but what about the stickers? Mine is a 1999 Marin and I can't fine stickers/decals anywhere on the net.

This is a great thread! I can't wait to get through my noob/probationary stage, so that I can post a bike that I just picked up today. It's a caloi, that's raw aluminum, and now I think I am going to polish it after seeing all this work you guys did.